No reopening date for Thoor Ballylee

Despite Fáilte Ireland beginning work on the restoration of WB Yeats’ former home at Thoor Ballylee on Monday, the well-known historical building will not be open to the public in the near future.
“I cannot commit to a date for the reopening of Thoor Ballylee but all I can say is that it is a priority for me. The restoration works which are taking place in the tower at the moment will take up to three months and perhaps a bit more if everything doesn’t go as planned,” said Labour senator Lorraine Higgins.
“This work is absolutely essential for the revival of tourism in South Galway. The connection with Yeats has not been fully tapped into. Given that Thoor Ballylee has been in a dilapidated state since the flooding in 2009, this has acted as a deterrent to tourism in the area but now Failte Ireland has provided funds for restoration work on the building and this is a step in the right direction. It is only one step but it is one step in the right direction.”
Further development of the Yeats link to South Galway will “benefit handsomely” Gort and its hinterland, the East Galway senator has claimed. Senator Higgins believes the famed tower, which Yeats purchased in 1917 and used as a summer home for the poet and his family, is critical to the revival of the tourist sector in East Galway. She is also hoping to start a festival to “centre on Yeats which would fuse the political and literary worlds”.
“I want to see Thoor Ballylee reopened so we can tap into this rich connection with WB Yeats. The whole area of Gort and its hinterland will benefit handsomely from the restoration works and the overall plan to have it reopened and the development of the Yeats link. This would keep visitors in the area for a little longer so there is every chance that any hotels or towns in the area would benefit from increased tourist numbers,” she outlined.
Senator Higgins previously pointed out that Thoor Ballylee is steeped in connections with Yeats and should be just as important a tourist landmark as his grave in Drumcliffe in Sligo.
“I believe around €100,000 visitors go to Drumcliff every year where Yeats is buried so there is no reason we should not be aiming for that. He did some of his best works in Thoor Ballylee and he has a very strong connection with the area,” she stated. 
The tower was badly damaged by severe flooding in the area two years ago and while the restoration are intended to bring it back to its pre-2009 state. There are concerns however about future flooding.
“The end goal has to be that it is fully reopened. I am trying to achieve this by working with the various ministers, Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Jimmy Deenihan as well as Junior Minister Michael Ring who has responsibility for Tourism and Sport and unfortunately I believe there are problems with the river and the possibility of flooding so dealing with that comes under Minister Phil Hogan, in the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government.
“Realistically I expect drainage works will have to be done to the river before the tower can be reopened,” Senator Higgins concluded.